Drought Drama Continues: Yakima River Basin Stays in Emergency Mode!

It's a dry year and the Yakima River Basin will remain in a drought emergency for the third year.

SO WHAT DOES THE DECLARATION MEAN FOR YAKIMA COUNTY?

The Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology told reporters on Tuesday a drought declaration made in 2023 continues to cover watersheds in the Upper Yakima, Lower Yakima and Naches. The declaration will result in $4.5 million in grant money to help the area get ready for a hot summer right around the corner.  Even with the new snowfall in the Washington Cascades and more in the near future it's not going to be enough water to fill reservoirs to a normal level.

BUT WAIT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE RAIN IN MARCH?

So what about all that rain that's fallen in the state this year? Even though it's been a nearly normal rain season not enough of the water has fallen in Central Washington. So that means it's going to be a dry year in the central part of the state that supports Washington's $4.5 billion agricultural industry.  During a press conference in Seattle on Tuesday ecology officials say even though March was a wet month water storage levels increased to 58 percent of normal.

USE SOME COMMON SENSE WHEN YOU'RE IN THE FOREST

With a predicated dry summer comes the possibility of wildfire. The state's wildfire season is right around the corner and concern is on the rise.
Fire officials simply ask you to use some common sense this spring and summer. They ask that you use caution when driving on roads or trails with vegetation and high grasses. Fireworks and exploding targets are still banned for use on federal public lands. If you build a campfire state officials ask that you make sure the campfire is extinguished before leaving a camping area.

REMEMBER THE RETREAT FIRE LAST YEAR?

Fire officials say while the wildfire season hasn't yet started the warm weather has increased the possibility of a large wildfire.
The biggest fire in the Yakima area last year was the Rimrock Retreat Fire which torched more than 45,000 acres before it was extinguished.